By Mike Pulley
Special to the Courier
news@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — The Pickens County Planning Commission unanimously voted down a huge development project Monday night that would potentially replace the historic Greenville-Pickens Racetrack.

The “no” vote gave hope to racetrack supporters who are negotiating a $4 million purchase deal with RealtyLink, the developer, that transfers ownership of the Speedway portion of the project and allows it to reopen for racing.

The vote allows the developer to resubmit the last three phases of its five-phase project, the Speedway Business & Technology Park, at a future date with a more comprehensive traffic study and project terms more in line with the county’s land-use plan. Before the vote, several Commissioners cited an insufficient traffic study and failure of project plans to align with the county’s land-use plan as reasoning for their decision.

RealtyLink vowed to come back with the required changes for a project that would encompass more than 200 acres of the huge 500-acre speedway site at the intersection of Highway 123 and Highway 124. At full buildout in the next few years, the five phases of the Park would include about 4 million square feet of industrial and retail uses and employ about 4,000 workers, according to RealtyLink.

Jackie Manley, a former local driver and leader of the group trying to buy and reopen the 26-acre speedway along more than two dozen supporters, loudly applauded after

You must be logged in to view this content.